Swift Wart Treatment

Delaware Total Foot and Ankle Center (DTFAC) is pleased to announce that they are now offering the new Swift wart removal system. DTFAC feels this system holds many advantages over other wart removal treatments, and the overall patient experience is much better as a result. Swift utilizes low-dose microwave technology through a specialized probe to safely and accurately target the wart itself.  This allows for a faster recovery and is effective on hard to treat warts.

The treatment does not involve cutting or placing caustic chemicals on the wart, but rather directs microwaves targeting the wart itself. This enhanced accuracy means it does not affect the surrounding skin or tissue at all, and the patient will notably not require any anesthetic post-procedural dressings. Each session takes between 5-10 minutes to complete, and most patients will only need two or three sessions to fully take care of a wart. These sessions will typically take place around four weeks apart.

Patients typically report feeling a minor sensation during the procedure, similar to a small scratch or an injection. The microwaves also serve to stimulate the patient’s immune system, and this is largely why the treatment is so effective at preventing the formation of new plantar warts. There is no other pain, and these sensations fade rapidly, lasting no more than a few seconds. Patients are able to resume their regular activity as soon as a session is complete.

Warts are benign skin lesions that are caused by a viral infection known as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). In this case, the virus infects the skin by making its way through cuts and abrasions in its surface. While it is possible for such infections to cause warts anywhere on the skin, they are more likely to occur on the bottom of the foot. This is often due to environmental factors. Since HPV flourishes in warm, damp areas, those who enter communal changing rooms and other environments with a higher risk of exposure are more likely to step on infected surfaces. Cuts make it much easier for the virus to take hold, but moist feet can also increase the likelihood of infection.

In about 50% of cases, a plantar wart will resolve without treatment, but it is recommended that they be treated as soon as possible because the infection can still be transmitted to other parts of the body, to other people, and cause pain during walking and physical activities.

Prospective patients are encouraged to contact the office and schedule a consultation to discuss treatment options.

If you would like additional information, please click here for a presentation on SWIFT wart treatments.